Chancellor King Visits Campus to Welcome EOP Students

SUNY Chancellor John B. King welcomed 40 new EOP students to campus to mark the launch of the system-wide Summer Academy. 

State University of New York Chancellor John B. King, Jr. visited Purchase College to announce the launch of the 2023 Educational Opportunity Program Summer Academy across the SUNY system during his visit to Purchase College.

In the coming weeks, approximately 4,000 first-year EOP students will spend time on SUNY campuses as they prepare for the Fall 2023 Semester.


SUNY Chancellor John B. King speaks with students in the EOP Summer Academy.

Preparing for Success

Each summer at Purchase, incoming EOP first-year students participate in a five-week residential experience on campus, beginning in July and ending in early August. The full cost of the Summer Academy is covered by a SUNY grant and Purchase College.

Students participate in small classroom instruction to experience the university course setting that lies ahead in the fall semester.

Workshops to sharpen academic and nonacademic success skills, in-depth study skill enrichment, extensive individual and group counseling sessions, and personal and educational advisement also prepare students for the challenges of college life.

Some campuses offer students the opportunity to earn credits toward graduation during the summer program. Students also participate in career awareness sessions. 


Social Mobility

Chancellor King was joined by Assemblymember Chris Burdick, SUNY Board Trustee Keith Landa, and Purchase College President Milagros “Milly” Peña, as well as the faculty and staff who welcomed 40 students to the campus.

Under the leadership of Governor Kathy Hochul, with significant support from the state legislature, EOP continues to provide students—many the first in their families to go to college—with comprehensive services and personalized support.

The 2024 enacted budget includes nearly $44 million to ensure the program’s success for SUNY EOP students.

“I am thrilled to help President Peña and the Purchase College community welcome the first 2023 class of our EOP students to SUNY as they start their academic journey and begin to realize what they can get out of college,” says SUNY Chancellor King. “EOP was created more than 50 years ago to provide an equitable and affordable education to students from low-income households, and it continues to propel promising students to a college degree and greater social mobility for themselves and their families.” 

President Peña adds, “As a college with a robust EOP program, we know the importance of providing access to hands-on support and mentorship, both of which are invaluable in helping students thrive both on campus and after graduation.”

Learn more about EOP and MAP programs at Purchase College.


About the State University of New York Educational Opportunity Program

The State University of New York’s Arthur O. Eve Educational Opportunity Program provides access, academic support, and financial aid to students who show promise to succeed in college but who may not have otherwise been admitted. Available primarily to full-time, matriculated students, the program supports students throughout their college careers. Since its inception in 1967, EOP has served more than 80,000 students and has evolved into one of the country’s most successful college access programs.


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